Healthcare Organizations Increasingly Turn to Outsourcing for Low Costs, Improved Patient Experience

Driven by the need to reduce operating costs to cope with lower reimbursement rates, healthcare organizations are increasingly turning to outside support for services such as construction, medical staffing, customer service and information technology to bridge the gap in a more cost-effective manner. Modern Healthcare’s annual outsourcing survey found that the top 20 outsourcing firms, based on the number of national healthcare clients, reported 13.1 percent growth between 2010 and 2011. As a group, the top 20 contractors served a total of 16,463 healthcare clients in 2011 – up from 14,556 the previous year.

Today’s health care companies face an uphill battle. Between changing regulations, growing costs of service and general rising costs, providers must explore new ways of attracting and retaining customers while keeping costs under control.

A provider of business process outsourcing solutions that span the entire customer lifecycle, Alorica’s solutions for healthcare industry partners have included call handling for pre-enrollment questions, coverage options, process applications during open enrollment for long-term care benefits, answering service-related questions on active policies, maintaining accurate information in client databases, enrolling all federal personnel for dental and vision benefits, process qualifying life events, outbound customer satisfaction and more.

Alorica is HIPAA-compliant, PCI (News - Alert) Level 1-certified and SSAE6 (formerly SAS 70)-certified.

“Alorica has demonstrated proven ability to accommodate the staffing of season ramps and temporary programs,” said Lexy Desrosiers, executive director client services, Alorica. 

The fluctuations have included staffing for 85 agents with the required support structure of management staff, trainers and quality assurance; more than 1,000 agents with the required management staff, trainers, quality assurance; 40 (and then growing to 115) agents with the required support structure of management staff, trainers and quality assurance; and 350 agents with the required support structure of management staff, trainers and quality assurance.

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“Because of Alorica’s years of experience we have repeat agents, managers and contract trainers that return to work with Alorica on season and ongoing programs,” said Desrosiers. “The experience and tenure of repeat staff enhances the quality delivered on the programs we service.”

Alorica has provided outsourcing services to Fortune 500 insurance clients, including managed healthcare service providers, life insurance providers, medical equipment suppliers, medical supplement providers, prescription benefits providers and a pharmaceutical manufacturer.

For one client, Alorica serviced the long-term care division. Its agents handled calls concerning pre-enrollment questions, process applications during open enrollment, and also handled service related questions on active policies. Functions on active policies included but were not limited to billing changes, employment status changes, changes to benefits, basic account maintenance. Alorica agents were responsible for maintaining accurate information in the client database.

One client provides dental and vision insurance to United States government employees.  Alorica’s agents handle registration and enrollments, and administer payroll and annuity deductions for federal employees and dependents. Agents are responsible for profile maintenance and upkeep of the participants demographics in the customer database.

Alorica has provided clients with the following benefits and improvements:

• Workforce management collaboration and expertise sharing for improved forecasting and staffing plans
• Implementation of efficiencies resulting in reduced call handling times, improved processes and cost savings
• Technology consulting for items including IVR set up, software implementations and systems structures

It is important for companies in the healthcare industry to turn to outsourcers such as Alorica. “Outsourcers have the benefit of learning and implementing diverse best practices in technology, quality processes, work force management, recruitment screening and staffing,” said Desrosiers. “This expertise can be leveraged and allows healthcare companies to focus on their core functions and to not be distracted by the initiatives involved with performing services in-house.”

In the current economic climate, organizations can realize significant revenue savings from turning to outsourcing providers. Specialization leads to expertise in multiple areas such as training and compliance allow for significant investments in other parts of the business. According to Desrosier, building strong, trusted outsourcing partnerships positions companies for expanded growth as well.

Alorica also has success and experience in other industries, including financial, telecommunications, media and entertainment, energy and utilities, consumer products and retail and automotive. To learn more about Alorica’s business process outsourcing solutions and other industries it serves, visit www.alorica.com.

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